December 12, 2022
By Tab Bamford

CHICAGO, IL — With the holiday roster freeze now a little more than one week away, it will be interesting to see if we have any movement of note before the cutoff. There are certainly some teams that need a spark to get going, and there are others who are excited to watch the upcoming World Juniors to scout the 2023 NHL Draft class.

My eyes are going to be on the ice in Chicago on Tuesday night with Alexander Ovechkin three goals away from joining Gordie Howe and Wayne Gretzky in the most exclusive club in NHL history. Will Ovi get to 800 this week? And will he score a goal with a goaltender actually in the net at some point to do it?

As always, please feel free to spread some holiday cheer and let us know how we did with this week’s Power Rankings.

32. Anaheim Ducks

It’s all about the goal differential for me right now. The Ducks are minus-50 in 28 starts before Monday. That’s awful, and there’s no way to sugarcoat it.

31. Chicago Blackhawks

At 1-8-1 in their last 10 and now 4-8-2 on home ice, the most exciting ticket on Chicago’s home schedule between now and the end of the year is Tuesday night when Ovechkin needs a hat trick for 800.

30. St. Louis Blues

Welcome back to the bottom, Blues fans. With a sterling 2-7-1 in their last 10, St. Louis has gone from one streak to another this season but too much has been on the wrong side of the ledger. They’re down to a minus-24 goal differential.

29. Philadelphia Flyers

Like the Ducks and Blues, Philly has won only twice in their last ten. And their minus-26 goal differential is sliding the wrong direction as well.

28. Columbus Blue Jackets

Winners of their last two, the Jackets’ minus-31 goal differential is better than only Anaheim and Chicago entering Monday. They’ve allowed 111 goals, which is better than only Anaheim and LA.

27. Arizona Coyotes

It’s the middle of December and the Coyotes have still only played six home games. I’m going to give them a little credit for being road warriors this season, though their 3-4-3 record in their last 10 has them nearing the bottom of the standings again.

26. San Jose Sharks

With a 2-8-5 record on home ice, the Sharks aren’t giving their fans much reason to come to the rink. They’re 3-5-2 in their last 10 as well.

25. Montreal Canadiens

Somebody needs to support their top line offensively. The Habs have a minus-14 goal differential and are still 6-7-0 on home ice this season.

24. Vancouver Canucks

The Canucks continue to be one of the most underwhelming teams in the league. They’re 6-4-0 in their last 10 but still have a minus-12 goal differential and are 5-7-1 on home ice.

23. Ottawa Senators

I like that the Sens have “only” allowed 89 goals in 27 games this season, and their minus-six goal differential is better than I probably would have guessed based on their record. The question is when will Alex DeBrincat show up?

22. Nashville Predators

The Preds and Blackhawks are the only teams in the league that haven’t scored 70 goals yet this season. Nashville is 6-3-1 in their last 10 but have a minus-11 goal differential.

21. Los Angeles Kings

I’m really having a hard time buying the Kings’ record. They’ve allowed 112 goals, which is the second-most in the NHL (yes, they’ve played 31 games). And they have a minus-six goal differential with a 4-3-3 record in their last 10.

20. Buffalo Sabres

I’ll pay to watch Tage Thompson, even if the roster around him is just trying to stay afloat. They’re 5-3-2 in their last 10, though, and have scored 109 goals in 28 games (not all of them are from Thompson, though it might feel like they are sometimes).

19. Calgary Flames

Who won the trade between Calgary and Florida this summer? Is it possible the answer is neither team? The Flames have a minus-one goal differential in 28 starts.

18. Florida Panthers

Same deal as the Flames. The big changes over the summer have not translated into the desired impact on the ice. Florida and Calgary are both 4-4-2 in their last 10 and the Panthers have a break-even goal differential entering Monday.

17. Colorado Avalanche

They’re only 5-4-2 at home and just 4-5-1 in their last 10 but the Avs still have a plus-eight goal differential. Injuries have been an enormous problem for the Avs, which begs the question if/when they’ll add to their roster to stay in the playoff mix and improve their chances of repeating.

16. Detroit Red Wings

With a 5-3-2 record in their last 10, the Wings have settled back to the pack a little closer to where I expected them to be before the season. But they’re over .500 at home and on the road, which is impressive.

15. Minnesota Wild

Even with their cap issues and injuries this season, the Wild have a positive goal differential and they’re the hot team rising in the Central Division right now. Minnesota is 7-3-0 in their last 10.

14. Edmonton Oilers

The offense is still a work in progress without Evander Kane in the lineup, as evidenced by their 6-4-0 record in their last 10. They’ll benefit from the bottom of their division being awful.

13. New York Rangers

Winners of their last three, that streak improves the Rangers to just 5-4-1 in their last 10. They’ve actually been a better road team (9-4-1) than at MSG (5-6-4) thus far.

12. Washington Capitals

Ovi might get to 800 just on empty net goals alone. The good news is the cage is empty a lot recently because the Caps have a lead; they’ve won four straight and are 7-2-1 in their last 10.

11. Carolina Hurricanes

The Canes have played 18 of their 27 games on the road to start this season and they’ve been really good away from home (10-3-5). But they’re just 5-1-4 in their last 10; finishing the deal in regulation would be nice.

10. Dallas Stars

Dallas has limped to a 5-2-3 record in their last 10 and now find themselves looking up at Winnipeg in the Central. Their offense has been good as has their defense, but they’ve struggled to close the deal since Jason Robertson’s point streak ended.

9. New York Islanders

With a plus-12 goal differential and 6-4-0 record in their last 10, the Islanders are hanging around in the division conversation longer than some thought they would this season. Now if they could just add a dynamic offensive piece to compliment Mathew Barzal…

8. Vegas Golden Knights

I’m dropping the Knights this week based on their 5-5-0 record in their last 10. They still have a solid plus-18 goal differential and a nice cushion on second place in the terrible Pacific Division, however.

7. Seattle Kraken

Who would have thought Seattle would be the only team really challenging Vegas for the top of the Pacific in the middle of December? The Kraken have won seven of their last ten and have a plus-11 goal differential.

6. Tampa Bay Lightning

They always just seem to find a way, don’t they? The Bolts are 10-4-1 in Tampa and have a plus-13 goal differential entering Monday. Ho, hum, another playoff run is likely for the Lightning.

5. Pittsburgh Penguins

Owners of the longest active win streak in the NHL entering Monday at five games, the Pens are 8-1-1 in their last 10 and have a plus-17 goal differential. And Kris Letang is back on the ice playing meaningful minutes.

4. Winnipeg Jets

The Jets have sprinted to a 7-3-0 record in their last ten and are now on top of the Central by virtue of having played one fewer game than Dallas. They’re 10-4-0 in Winnipeg and are one of five teams with a goal differential of at least plus-20.

3. New Jersey Devils

The Devils have won seven of their last ten and are the best road team in the NHL (11-1-0) this far. Their plus-37 goal differential in 27 starts is exceptional.

2. Toronto Maple Leafs

The Leafs jump into our top two this week thanks to an 8-0-2 record in their last 10 starts. They’ve been terrific at home (10-2-3) and have a plus-23 goal differential. But they’re stuck in second because…

1. Boston Bruins

It’s Dec. 12 and the Bruins still haven’t lost a home game in regulation. They’re 14-0-1 at home and 8-4-0 on the road with a stunning plus-48 goal differential in 27 games. They’re a wagon and I’m not sure who catches them.